Westport educator to trade hall passes for rifle

A local man is preparing for a job change - from educator in Westport to soldier in Iraq.The man who is known as Assistant Principal Richard Franzis to his student at Staples High School is also known as Lieutenant Colonel Franzis to his fellow soldiers in the Army Reserves. Franzis was informed around Thanksgiving that he would be leaving his hometown of Fairfield and his job as an educator to rejoin his unit. His students threw him a going away party for his last day Friday. On Tuesday, he will join his unit's base in Pennsylvania before heading to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He is scheduled for deployment to Iraq in July.Franzis says he will miss his wife, three children and students very much during the 18-month tour. As far as his job, the school has to hold his job for 5 years. Franzis says he was not surprised by his deployment. He says there are two kinds of soldiers in the Army: those who are currently called to duty and those who will be in the future.